qx-0113 · 中国
织女与牧童
黄牛教他把那身红衣藏进林子
- 编号
- qx-0113
- 文化圈
- 中国
- 年代
- 1921 年英译（据 R. Wilhelm 德文辑本转译）；故事本身为久传民间故事
- 原文核校
- 已校
- 篇幅
- 约 30 分钟
原文影录
原文已校照录公版文本，不改一字。异体字与阙文一仍其旧。
出 中国童话集（The Chinese Fairy Book） · 《中国童话集》（The Chinese Fairy Book, 1921）第16篇〈The Herd Boy and the Weaving Maiden〉（即牛郎织女） · 译者 F. H. 马滕斯（Frederick H. Martens）英译，1921（据卫礼贤德文辑本转译，非汉文原典逐译） · 核校出处
照录 Gutenberg #29939 第16篇公版英译，行末换行已接排，「……」标示删节。
The Herd Boy was the child of poor people. When he was twelve years old, he took service with a farmer to herd his cow. After a few years the cow had grown large and fat, and her hair shone like yellow gold. She must have been a cow of the gods.
One day while he had her out at pasture in the mountains, she suddenly began to speak to the Herd Boy in a human voice, as follows: "This is the Seventh Day. Now the White Jade Ruler has nine daughters, who bathe this day in the Sea of Heaven. The seventh daughter is beautiful and wise beyond all measure. She spins the cloud-silk for the King and Queen of Heaven, and presides over the weaving which maidens do on earth. It is for this reason she is called the Weaving Maiden. And if you go and take away her clothes while she bathes, you may become her husband and gain immortality."
"But she is up in Heaven," said the Herd Boy, "and how can I get there?"
"I will carry you there," answered the yellow cow.
So the Herd Boy climbed on the cow's back. In a moment clouds began to stream out of her hoofs, and she rose into the air. About his ears there was a whistling like the sound of the wind, and they flew along as swiftly as lightning. Suddenly the cow stopped.
"Now we are here," said she.
Then round about him the Herd Boy saw forests of chrysophrase and trees of jade. The grass was of jasper and the flowers of coral. In the midst of all this splendor lay a great, four-square sea, covering some five-hundred acres. Its green waves rose and fell, and fishes with golden scales were swimming about in it. In addition there were countless magic birds who winged above it and sang. Even in the distance the Herd Boy could see the nine maidens in the water. They had all laid down their clothes on the shore.
"Take the red clothes, quickly," said the cow, "and hide away with them in the forest, and though she ask you for them never so sweetly do not give them back to her until she has promised to become your wife."
Then the Herd Boy hastily got down from the cow's back, seized the red clothes and ran away. At the same moment the nine maidens noticed him and were much frightened.
"O youth, whence do you come, that you dare to take our clothes?" they cried. "Put them down again quickly!"
But the Herd Boy did not let what they said trouble him; but crouched down behind one of the jade trees. Then eight of the maidens hastily came ashore and drew on their clothes.
"Our seventh sister," said they, "whom Heaven has destined to be yours, has come to you. We will leave her alone with you."
The Weaving Maiden was still crouching in the water. But the Herd Boy stood before her and laughed. "If you will promise to be my wife," said he, "then I will give you your clothes."
"I am a daughter of the Ruler of the Gods," said she, "and may not marry without his command. Give back my clothes to me quickly, or else my father will punish you!"
Then the yellow cow said: "You have been destined for each other by fate, and I will be glad to arrange your marriage, and your father, the Ruler of the Gods, will make no objection. Of that I am sure." The Weaving Maiden replied: "You are an unreasoning animal! How could you arrange our marriage?" The cow said: "Do you see that old willow-tree there on the shore? Just give it a trial and ask it. If the willow tree speaks, then Heaven wishes your union."
And the Weaving Maiden asked the willow.
The willow replied in a human voice: "This is the Seventh day, The Herd Boy his court to the Weaver doth pay!"
and the Weaving Maiden was satisfied with the verdict. The Herd Boy laid down her clothes, and went on ahead. The Weaving Maiden drew them on and followed him. And thus they became man and wife.
But after seven days she took leave of him. "The Ruler of Heaven has ordered me to look after my weaving," said she. "If I delay too long I fear that he will punish me. Yet, although we have to part now, we will meet again in spite of it."
When she had said these words she really went away. The Herd Boy ran after her. But when he was quite near she took one of the long needles from her hair and drew a line with it right across the sky, and this line turned into the Silver River. And thus they now stand, separated by the River, and watch for one another.
And since that time they meet once every year, on the eve of the Seventh Day. When that time comes, then all the crows in the world of men come flying and form a bridge over which the Weaving Maiden crosses the Silver River. And on that day you will not see a single crow in the trees, from morning to night, no doubt because of the reason I have mentioned. And besides, a fine rain often falls on the evening of the Seventh Day. Then the women and old grandmothers say to one another: "Those are the tears which the Herd Boy and the Weaving Maiden shed at parting!" And for this reason the Seventh Day is a rain festival.
To the west of the Silver River is the constellation of the Weaving Maiden, consisting of three stars. And directly in front of it are three other stars in the form of a triangle. It is said that once the Herd Boy was angry because the Weaving Maiden had not wished to cross the Silver River, and had thrown his yoke at her, which fell down just in front of her feet. East of the Silver River is the Herd Boy's constellation, consisting of six stars. To one side of it are countless little stars which form a constellation pointed at both ends and somewhat broader in the middle. It is said that the Weaving Maiden in turn threw her spindle at the Herd Boy; but that she did not hit him, the spindle falling down to one side of him.
篇末原注：
Note: "The Herd Boy and the Weaving Maiden" is retold after an oral source. The Herd Boy is a constellation in Aquila, the Weaving Maiden one in Lyra. The Silver River which separates them is the Milky Way. The Seventh Day of the seventh month is the festival of their reunion. The Ruler of the Heavens has nine daughters in all, who dwell in the nine heavens. The oldest married Li Dsing (comp. "Notscha," No. 18); the second is the mother of Yang Oerlang (comp. No. 17); the third is the mother of the planet Jupiter (comp. "Sky O'Dawn," No. 34); and the fourth dwelt with a pious and industrious scholar, by name of Dung Yung, whom she aided to win riches and honor. The seventh is the Spinner, and the ninth had to dwell on earth as a slave because of some transgression of which she had been guilty. Of the fifth, the sixth and the eighth daughters nothing further is known.
白话直译
逐句对应的现代汉语直译，力求不增益、不修饰。
牧童是穷人家的孩子。十二岁上，他去替一个农户做工放牛。几年过去，那牛长得又大又肥，毛色黄得像金子。它准是一头神牛。
有一天他把它赶到山上放牧，它忽然用人的声音对牧童说起话来：「今天是第七日。白玉帝有九个女儿，今天在天河里沐浴。第七个女儿美得出格、也聪明得出格。她替天上的王与王后纺云丝，人间女子织布也归她管，因为这个缘故，她叫织女。你要是去她沐浴的时候把她的衣服拿走，你就可能做她的丈夫，还能得到长生不老。」
「可是她在天上，」牧童说，「我怎么上得去？」
「我驮你上去。」黄牛答道。
于是牧童爬上牛背。一会儿工夫，云从它的蹄子里涌出来，它升到空中。他耳朵边有风声呼啸，他们飞得像闪电那样快。忽然，牛停住了。
「我们到了。」它说。
牧童看见四周是黄玉的森林和玉的树。草是碧玉，花是珊瑚。这一片华丽当中横着一片方方正正的大海，占地约五百英亩。绿色的波浪起伏，金鳞的鱼在里面游。此外还有数不清的神鸟在海上飞翔歌唱。远远地，牧童已经看得见水里那九个少女。她们都把衣服放在岸上。
「快把红衣服拿走，」牛说，「藏到林子里去；她向你要，无论说得多么好听，都不要还给她，直到她答应做你的妻子。」
牧童赶紧从牛背上下来，抓起红衣服就跑。就在同时，九个少女看见了他，非常惊慌。
「少年，你从哪里来，竟敢拿走我们的衣服？」她们喊道，「快放下！」
牧童不把她们的话放在心上，只管蹲到一棵玉树后面。于是八个少女急忙上岸，穿上了自己的衣服。
「我们的七妹，」她们说，「上天注定她归你，她已经到你这里来了。我们把她留给你。」
织女还蹲在水里。
牧童却站在她面前笑。
「你要是答应做我的妻子，」他说，「我就把衣服还你。」
这话织女不乐意。
「我是天帝的女儿，」她说，「没有他的命令不能嫁人。快把衣服还我，不然我父亲要罚你！」
这时黄牛说：「你们是命中注定配成一对的，我很乐意替你们办这门婚事；你的父亲天帝也不会反对。这一点我确信。」
织女答道：「你是一头不通情理的牲口！你怎么替我们办婚事？」
牛说：「你看见岸上那棵老柳树没有？不妨试它一试，去问它。柳树要是开口说话，那就是上天愿意你们结合。」
于是织女问那棵柳树。
柳树用人的声音答道：「今天是第七日，牧童来向织女求亲了！」
织女对这个判词满意了。牧童把她的衣服放下，先往前走；织女穿上衣服，跟在他后面。他们就这样成了夫妻。
但七天之后，她向他告辞。
「天帝命我照看织作，」她说，「我耽搁太久，怕他要罚我。不过，虽然我们现在必须分开，我们日后总还是会再见的。」
说完这些话，她真的走了。牧童追了上去。可是刚追近，她从头上拔下一根长针，就手在天上划了一道线，这道线变成了银河。他们就这样站着，被这条河隔开，互相守望。
从那以后，他们每年相见一次，在第七日的前夜。到那时候，人间的乌鸦全都飞来，搭成一座桥，织女从桥上过银河。那一天从早到晚，你在树上看不见一只乌鸦——大概就是因为我说的这个缘故。此外，第七日的傍晚常常下一场细雨。那时妇人和老婆婆就互相说：「那是牧童和织女分别时掉的眼泪！」因为这个缘故，第七日成了一个求雨的节日。
银河以西是织女星，由三颗星组成。它正前方另有三颗星，摆成一个三角形。据说有一次牧童因为织女不肯过银河而生气，把自己的牛轭扔了过去，正好落在她脚前。银河以东是牧童星，由六颗星组成。它一侧有无数小星，排成一个两头尖、中间略宽的星座。据说织女也把她的纺锤扔向牧童；但没有打中他，纺锤落在他旁边。
篇末原注：「牧童与织女」是据口传材料重述的。牧童是 Aquila（天鹰座）的一个星座，织女是 Lyra（天琴座）的一个星座。隔开他们的银河就是 Milky Way。第七个月的第七日是他们会合的节日。天庭的主宰一共有九个女儿，住在九重天上。长女嫁了 Li Dsing（参看第18篇「Notscha」）；次女是杨二郎的母亲（参看第17篇）；三女是木星的母亲（参看第34篇「Sky O'Dawn」）；四女与一位虔诚而勤勉的读书人同住，此人名叫 Dung Yung，她帮他赢得了财富与尊荣。第七个就是织女；第九个因为犯了某种过失，只好在人间做奴婢。第五、第六、第八个女儿，此外就再没有记载了。
AI 重述
以原文为骨架的文学重述。情节与结局依原典，仅语言与叙事视角重写。
牧童十二岁上工，替人家放牛。几年过去，那条牛长得又大又肥，毛色黄得像金子。
那天他把它赶到山上，它开口了，用的是人的声音。它说，今天是七月初七，白玉帝的九个女儿要下天河沐浴；第七个又美又聪明，替天上的王与王后纺云丝，人间女子的织作也归她管。它说：你去把她的衣服拿走，就可能做她的丈夫，还能得长生。
牧童问：她在天上，我怎么去。牛说：我驮你去。
他爬上牛背。云从牛蹄底下涌出来，风在耳边过，快得像闪电。牛停住，说到了。四面是玉树与黄玉的林子，草是碧玉，花是珊瑚；当中一片方方正正的海，绿浪起伏，金鳞的鱼游着。远远地，他看见九个女子泡在水里，衣服都摊在岸上。
牛说：快把红衣服拿走，藏到林子里去。她向你要，无论说得多好听，都别还她，直到她答应做你的妻子。
他跳下牛背，抓起红衣就跑，蹲在一棵玉树后面。九个女子又惊又怕，朝着空处喊：少年，你从哪里来，敢拿我们的衣服？快放下！他没有出声。八个姐姐上了岸，穿好衣服，说：我们的七妹，天命注定归你，我们把她留给你。
织女还蹲在水里。牧童走到她面前笑，说：你答应做我的妻子，我就还你衣服。她说，我是天帝的女儿，没有父亲的命令不能嫁人；你快还我，不然我父亲要罚你。这时黄牛又开口：你们是命中注定的一对，这媒我来做，你父亲不会反对。织女当着它的面说：你是一头不通情理的牲口，怎么做得了我们的媒。牛说：岸上那棵老柳树，你去问它；柳树开口，就是上天愿意。
她问了。柳树用人的声音说：今天是七月初七，牧童来向织女求亲。她认了这个判词。牧童把衣服放下，先走一步；织女穿上衣服，跟在后面。他们成了夫妻。
七天之后，她来告辞。她说，天帝命她照看织作，耽搁久了怕受罚；虽然现在要分开，往后总会再见。说完她真的走了。牧童追上去，快追上时，她从头上拔下一根长针，就手在天上划了一道，那道线成了银河。他们隔着河站着，互相望着。
此后他们每年见一次，在七月初七的前夜。到那天，人间的乌鸦都飞来搭桥，她踩着桥过河；那一天从早到晚，树上见不到一只乌鸦。七月初七的傍晚常下小雨，妇人跟老婆婆互相说，那是他们分别时落的泪。
再后来的说法里，河西三颗星是她，河东六颗是他。有一次她不肯过河，他气得把牛轭扔了过去，落在她脚前；她也把纺锤扔还给他，没有打中。至于那身红衣服，早就还回去了。
按语
编纂者就该条所见母题、异文与流传所作的说明。
本条补的是 G02 的一个空位，但补上的不是「三件齐备」。 落笔前核过 content/tales/ 的真实 front matter：G02「人兽婚与天鹅处女」现有三条——qx-0034《蚕马》（china，[D01, G02]）、qx-0076《伏隆德之歌》（norse，[G02, G03]）、qx-0111《羽衣传说》（japan，[G02]）。以「①扣留／藏匿②因被扣留而留下成婚③被找回后离去」逐条对，旧三条各自缺的位置确实不同：蚕马缺①（马皮是尸身，没有人藏它，也没有人能还它），伏隆德缺①（羽衣始终在她们自己手边），羽衣传说①有而缺②（扣留换来的是一支舞）。本条逐件对：①齐——黄牛的原话是 "Take the red clothes, quickly… and hide away with them in the forest, and though she ask you for them never so sweetly do not give them back to her until she has promised to become your wife."（快把红衣服拿走，藏到林子里去；她向你要，无论说得多好听，都不要还她，直到她答应做你的妻子），牧童随即 "seized the red clothes and ran away"，又 "crouched down behind one of the jade trees"；②齐——"And thus they became man and wife."（他们就这样成了夫妻）；③不成立——衣服不是被她找回的，是男方在成婚之前当面交还的（"The Herd Boy laid down her clothes, and went on ahead. The Weaving Maiden drew them on and followed him."），而七天之后她离去的理由是 "The Ruler of Heaven has ordered me to look after my weaving"（天帝命我照看织作），与那身衣服无关。所以准确的说法是：本条是站内第一件把①与②同时落实的样本，前三条各缺其中之一；第三件则以「天命召回」的变体出现，「被找回即离去」这条因果回路在本条里没有闭合。若仍以三件齐备为门槛，本站至今没有齐备样本——只是缺的位置从「①②」挪到了「③的因果」。
为什么第三件在这里会失效：因为衣服不再是护照。 日本那一条把羽衣的功能写得毫无余地："without my feathers I cannot go back to my place, my home in High Heaven."（没有羽毛，我就回不了我高天的家）——扣住衣服等于扣住归途，所以归还必然等于放行，③自然成立。本条不同：天界对人本来就可来可往，牧童是骑着黄牛上去的（"I will carry you there," answered the yellow cow），后来织女拔簪划出银河挡人，乌鸦搭桥又是另一条通道。红衣在这篇里始终只是衣服：她要回它的理由，文本里一句也没有给——她只说那是她的衣服、快还回来，不说没有它就回不了天（八位姐姐更是只顾着穿上自己的衣服走人）。衣物一旦不承担通行功能，交还它就触发不了离别；能把人召回的是天帝的命令。这条变体不是文本的疏漏，而是世界观使然：G02 的第三件是从「衣服＝通行条件」的一支归纳出来的，把它套到「衣服只是衣服」的一支上，③必然落空。这也解释了为什么本条后半截更接近 G03——它与 qx-0061《董永与织女》共用同一个机关：天帝下令，人就得走。
「藏」与「扣」的分野。 本条用的动词是 hide away（藏匿），日本那条用的是 keep（扣留）。差别在当事人是否在场：藏起来的人不在场——九个女子只能朝着空处喊 "Put them down again quickly!"（快放下！），牧童蹲在玉树后面一声不答，本条从头到尾没有一次面对面的拒绝；于是冲突被交给了第三方裁决，八个姐姐先代天宣言 "whom Heaven has destined to be yours"，黄牛再抬出天命，最后连柳树都开了口。扣在手里的人必须在场——qx-0111 的渔人当面拒绝了数次，天女伸手来夺（"she snatched at the feather robe, but the fisherman held fast"），所以那一条非进入议价不可（一支让月宫旋转的舞换一件羽衣）。用一句话收拢：藏起来她找不到，扣在手里她能来讨——藏把交涉推给了别人，扣把交涉变成了两个人的讨价还价。不过本条把两种动作叠在了一起：牛交代的不只是藏，还有归还的条件（"do not give them back to her until she has promised"）——藏是手段，扣是条件。这正是 motifs.json 里那句「核心是保管权，藏匿只是它的一种实现」在文本上的落点。
指点者是一头牲口，这在站内 G02 里独一份。 教牧童去扣留的不是人，是一头牛，而且它主动开口：放牧时它 "suddenly began to speak to the Herd Boy in a human voice"（忽然用人的声音说话），取衣的主意是它出的（"said the cow"），藏的地点和归还的条件也是它交代的，连天意都由它代言——"your father, the Ruler of the Gods, will make no objection. Of that I am sure."（你的父亲天帝不会反对，这一点我确信）。织女当面把它顶了回去："You are an unreasoning animal! How could you arrange our marriage?"（你是一头不通情理的牲口，怎么办得了我们的婚事）——这句反驳恰好是它身份的原文证明。旧三条里没有这类角色：qx-0034 蚕马里的马是求婚者本人（它想「取人為婦」，这是它被射死的理由），qx-0076 的散文引子里没有人藏羽衣、也没有人出主意，qx-0111 的渔人是自己起了贪心。更值得注意的是这里的一句话安排：神意由牛和柳树代宣，天帝本人始终不出场，直到他要把女儿叫回去才以命令的形式出现一次。牲口与树木给出的许可，在天帝的一道命令面前不作数——扣留换来的婚姻有人间以外的担保，却没有天庭的批准。
「异类」是谁：本条的女方不是天鹅。 G02 的名目是「人兽婚与天鹅处女」，而本条的女方既不是兽，也没有羽衣——她只是天帝的第七个女儿，下水沐浴，红衣服被拿走。所以本条不在「人兽婚」那一支（没有兽），也不算典型的天鹅处女（没有可穿的羽衣，也没有变形）；它落在「天女沐浴失衣」这一型上，与天鹅处女共用的只是动作骨架（取衣→留人）。异类性的来源是界（天／人），不是种（人／兽）。这一点也解释了为什么本条与 G01「人神婚」、G03「仙凡别离」贴得那么近——它跨在本站三目的交界上，按语只能把它拴在 G02 上讨论它扣留的那一半。
与 qx-0061《董永与织女》不是同一个故事，同一部书自己就把它们分开了。 两条都用「织女」这个名号，但推动力不同：qx-0061 是孝子型——董永卖身葬父，妇人自来说「愿为子妻」，替主人家织缣百匹，「十日而毕」，然后自报「我，天之織女也。緣君至孝，天帝令我助君償債耳」，凌空而去，「不知所在」；本条是取衣逼婚型——牧童受黄牛指点拿走沐浴天女的衣服，以归还为条件换一个妻子，成婚七天，天帝召回，银河相隔，一年一会。一个有账要结，一个有权要夺；一个分离彻底（不知所在），一个年年相见。最直接的证据就在同一部书的篇末原注里：它数天帝九女时，把「与虔诚勤勉的读书人 Dung Yung 同住、助他赢得财富与尊荣」的那位记作第四个女儿，把本条的女主角记作第七个女儿，即 the Spinner（织女）——1921 年的这位编者手上，「董永的织女」和「牛郎的织女」是两位不同的天女。所以这是「织女」名号下的两个故事，不是一个故事的两种讲法；本站把它们分别挂在 G01／G03（qx-0061）与 G02（本条）上，是站得住的。
文本问题（须如实写明的两层）。 第一，本书不是汉文原典的逐译：卫礼贤（Richard Wilhelm）先据汉文材料编成德文辑本，F. H. 马滕斯（Frederick H. Martens）再据德文本转写成英文，汉文→德文→英文两层转手，而卫礼贤的辑本本身带整理与改写。篇末原注也自认这一篇 "is retold after an oral source"（据口传材料重述），也就是说这部书并不主张它有汉文底本。第二，本篇内部就有重述层的痕迹：同一个至高的神被叫作 "the White Jade Ruler"（白玉帝）、"the Ruler of the Gods"（天帝）、"the Ruler of Heaven"（天帝）三个名号，彼此混用；而「柳树开口作证」这一节，我在本轮能取到的材料里找不到可以对照的汉文记录——本轮维基文库不通，汉文文献取不到，所以「哪些是口传、哪些是编者所加」，这里只能如实存疑，不能替它指定底本。第三，原注把九位天女分别系到别的故事上去（长女嫁 Li Dsing、次女是杨二郎之母、三女是木星之母、四女配董永，等等），说明「天帝九女」是一个共用的家族框架，具体故事可以按需挂到其中一位身上——本条的「第七女」身份就是这样被安置进框架的。第四，同一部书还收有第21篇〈The Girl with the Horse's Head or the Silkworm Goddess〉（据目录），也就是本站 qx-0034 所属的马皮卷女一型；1921 年的这位编者把本站 G02 的两支并排收在同一卷里，而两支的结局相反：一支以成婚开始、以一年一会收场，另一支连婚礼都没有发生，只把人变成了蚕。